SPORTS PEOPLE

SPORTS PEOPLE; Too Much Noise

Published: November 7, 1985

The way the Iowa football coach, Hayden Fry, sees it, it was as much Ohio State's fans as the Buckeye football team that dislodged Iowa from its No. 1 ranking last Saturday. The crowd noise at Ohio Stadium was so loud, he said, that his acclaimed quarterback, Chuck Long, became disoriented.

''That's not an excuse for Chuck,'' Fry said. ''It's a realistic fact that happened. He became mentally disturbed for the first time since he's been a starter for us because of his inability to communicate.'' Fry said the problem of crowd noise had become widespread. ''It's kind of become a fad now,'' he said. ''The fans are going bananas.'' To correct the problem, Fry suggested imposing penalties on home teams whose fans make too much noise with sound meters rather than a referee's judgment used to determine the call. That solution may take a while, but Fry can afford to wait a bit. The Hawkeyes, who play Illinois this week, are playing at home. Without the disorienting din of rival fans, Long is expected to be his old self again.